Sangakkara: Sri Lanka have positive Test cricket future under ex-England coach Silverwood
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has called on his former team to find a way to play more Tests, and encourages cricket fans to embrace new technologies.
The 45-year-old played 134 Tests between 2000 and 2015 for The Lions and is widely seen as one of the best Sri Lankan cricketers of all time.
The team have entered into a regime under former England coach Chris Silverwood and were on the cusp of reaching the World Test Championship final in London this month.
Sangakkara on Sri Lanka
“I think Sri Lanka has a great history,” Sangakkara told City PM “They take a lot of pride, we all took a lot of pride in playing Test cricket for our country.
“I don’t think Sri Lanka plays enough Test matches and there’s a financial component to that in terms of how viable it is hosting X amount of games per year for Sri Lanka.”
Sri Lanka have plagued 311 Tests in their history compared to England’s 1061 – but England have been a Test nation for a lot longer.
The Lions have played 12 Tests since the start of 2022 and 50 in the last 2,204 days. England have played 17 Tests since the start of 2022 and in the last 1,422 days. It’s fair to say, therefore, that Sri Lanka aren’t playing nearly as many Tests as some other nations.
“How are they going to get that support that they need, not just Sri Lanka but all of the other countries?” Sangakkara added.
“Is it a central fund, how does the ICC support them in the ability to play continuous test cricket, to have sides of the quality that makes world Test cricket much more interesting and competitive?
“But in terms of the players, in terms of the passion of the fans, in terms of what the players want to do so without a doubt, play more Test cricket along with the other formats.
“[The ICC] will have to address all these questions and try to come up with a solution that allows broader participation of all Test playing countries and raise their quality to a higher level.
“Sri Lanka is on that journey, they’ve got a very good Test side and I am excited to see what they achieve in the World Cup.”
Changing the game
Sangakkara is the co-founder of sports game Meta 11’s maker Behaviol and insists that new technologies can influence how fans see sport.
“I wouldn’t say I am a tech geek or extremely savvy in new world technology,” he said. “But I am of course interested in how cricket is consumed, how it opens up new areas of innovation not just in terms of playing.
“Even in my role as director of cricket at the Rajasthan Royals, [tech] has been a huge space for us as a cricketing franchise to look into.
“What more can be done to engage and hold fans and attract new fans, and to take the game beyond the traditional limits that we’re accustomed to.
“We will try to keep creating a cutting edge platform that can emerge with web three technology, non-fungible technology and of course artificial intelligence.”